Shadows Stretch and Cover
by Seto's Dragoness
Summary: A oneshot chapter about ShikamaruXKitura. Warnings: oneshot, OC and paired with cannon character, AU, angst, violence, slight mature themes. Characters: Kitura, Shikamaru, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, ‘Ryan’ OC, and other unnamed ninja.


**Summary:** A one-shot chapter about ShikamaruXKitura

**Anime/Manga:** Naruto

**Genre**: Angst

**Warnings:** one-shot, OC (and paired with cannon character), AU, angst, violence

**Characters:** Kitura, Shikamaru, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, 'Ryan' (OC), and other un-named ninja

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, and I make no money off this story. I did create Kitura though, steal her and may Gobi smite you!

**A/N:** _This is a dream I had on Feb. 24__th__, but I had added some things to make it more like a story. Also, sorry the story seems so short but the definitions are long! I just wanted to try make it clearer if someone wasn't sure of the Japanese or Naruto specific words I used._

_Italics_ – Flashback

" " – Speech

' ' – Thoughts

Japanese:

**Kage:** "shadow", but also title of a leader of one of the five main ninja villages.

**Zori: **traditional Japanese sandles, the ones in Naruto look different than the ones I'm used to associating with this term though…

**Konoha:** "leaf", also name of the largest village in the largest country in the Naruto world

**Shinobi:** ninja

**Shunobi:** male ninja

**Rokudaime:** "fifth"

**Chakara:** the 'energy', or power from within oneself, that ninja use to perform their jutsu/techniques

**Senpai:** Japanese honorific. Added to a persons name who is in the same 'category' (in this case a Konoha shinobi) as you but is older and you look up to or respect that person.

**-kun:** attached to a boys name. Indicates a familiarity and closeness to the name in front. Can be used between males when an older one is addressing a younger.

**Gomen ne:** non-formal way of saying "I'm Sorry". Generally used between friends/family or otherwise close acquaintances.

**Hai:** "yes" or otherwise confirmation reply. When doubled (Hai, hai) it's like saying "yeah, yeah"

**Ashiteru:** "I love you"

Naruto Specific:

**Forehead protector**: a headband type of accessory. Has a metal plate in the middle with the symbol of the ninja's home village carved on the front.

**Green Flak Jacket:** the green vest that chuunin and higher ranks may wear as a sign of their rank.

**Jounin:** elite rank among ninja. Highest rank just below Kage, above Special Jounin

**Chuunin:** Journeyman Ninja, rank below Special Jounin.

**Hokage:** Head ninja leader of Konohagakure (Village hidden in the leaves)

**Mendoska:** "how troublesome" or something to that extent. It's Shikamaru's phrase.

**Squad:** a team of four ninja

**ANBU:** a secretive special division of elite ninja in a village that answer directly to the Hokage. They wear white and red masks with various (usual animal themed) mask, and sometimes cloaks.

**Undertaker Squad:** a specialized division of a village, ANBU ranked ninja dispose of a ninja's remains so that there is no trace of their existence left.

**Genjutsu:** 'Illusionary technique', Taijutus is 'hand-to-hand combat', and Ninjutusu… well it's just any other jutsu a ninja may use that is not Taijutus or Genjutsu I guess

**Jutsu****: Kage **– ShikaKitu Centric

She stood by herself in the middle of a crowd of fellow Konoha Shinobi, though only Chuunin and higher ranks were in attendance. She fiddled with her black forehead protector, she'd spent a number of hours polishing it up hours before the celebration began. After all, it wasn't everyday the anniversary of Rokudaime Hokage's ascension came along. Having her hair tied up in a bun wasn't something she was used to, but she'd left her long bangs framing her face. Not only had she put up her hair, but also her clothing was different. Instead of her black Capri's and ¾ sleeve shirt, she wore a long navy skirt with a slit down the left side, the hem was embroidered with silver snowflakes of varying sizes. Her short sleeved, v-neck top was sky blue with long, deep blue dragons meticulously painted along its edges. Her silver dragon pendant lay against her skin just above the bottom of the 'v' of her shirt. Her customary zori had been exchanged for more dressy navy shoes.

Flicking her right hand her fan opened. It was white with mountains inked in the background and a dragon of the same style as her pendant was perched on the peak of the largest mountain in the center. She lifted her fan to cover her face from the nose down. Her left hand cradled her right elbow.

Her eyes were bright as scanned the room from corner to corner. To one side a small crowd had gathered around the refreshment table. Others stood about the open doors leading to the veranda with a lovely view of the trees below light by moonlight, as well as a small band playing calm music. The entrance had two shinobi standing at each side to welcome those still entering, and bid farewell to others departing. The fourth wall had a pair of computers. What they were for she could only guess, and few shinobi stood nearby. The rest of the room was filled with pairs and groups of shinobi catching up with one another. Talk of old missions, new rumors, random happenings in the village, and jokes floated about the room. It was an active but soothing atmosphere.

Then she noticed a familiar man making his way towards her through the crowds. It was her cousin, Ryan. He was wearing the blue pants and shirt common to Konoha shunobi, but he lacked his green flak jacket. She snapped her fan shut, smiled, and made her way towards him. They exchanged pleasantries and then he handed her a slip of paper, Shikamaru had given it to him for her. She was surprised, but even more so when she was told he had instructed her not to read it until she left the event. Puzzled but pushing her questions aside she wished her cousin well and allowed him to return to his work. Apparently he wasn't here to celebrate and still had a few things to wrap up before the night was over.

He'd told her Shikamaru was at the far end on one of the computers. She slowly made her way in that direction. She was soaking in as much of the social activity as she could before her duty called for her professionalism again tomorrow.

And, yes, Ryan had been right. Shikamaru sat in front of one of the screens fiddling with something on it. She didn't care to notice what it was. She just stood behind him gazing down at him contentedly. His hair was up in its usual ponytail style, and he also wore his normal clothing and flak jacket. He seemed so absorbed into what he was doing. She didn't have the heart to disturb him. Her right hand was reaching over to rest on his shoulder, but it instead hovered over it for a second or two before she withdrew it. She'd talk to him tomorrow, maybe, if he didn't get off duty later in the evening. She smiled warmly to his back then mouthed something before turning around to rejoin the others in the festivities.

**The Next Day**

A large, round stone tower stood in a clearing in the midst of an eerily quiet forest. The sound of animals calling out or rustling in the treetops of bushes was not heard. Yet the sun stood high in the sky and shone warmly down on the trees boughs, and a cool breeze blew through the leaves.

Suddenly a large wave of chakara was emitted from the center of the tower, the ground rumbled, the trees trembled and their branches were blown back. The ground around the tower had begun to quake as the chakara blowing out in all directions flared higher, the stone walls were beginning to crack, an ominous feeling filled the air, and clouds roiled in out of no where and cast a dark shadow over the tower and surrounding forest.

The clang and screech of metal colliding and grinding echoed from the tower, as well as screams and the wet slicing sound of flesh being torn apart.

Then a new wave of chakara, even darker than the one before it, swept out from the tower. It was soon followed up and seemed to intertwine with the ice-cold feeling that seemed to engulf the surrounding area.

The dark clouds above were boiling, and thunder boomed with lighting cracking the sky, and there was one final bang that cracked the ground from the tower to the trees before a couple squads of shaken up and wounded shinobi rushed out of the tower. They struggled to maintain their balance on the quaking ground and against the battling chakara's still flowing from out of the tower.

As they turned to look back they saw the cracks in the stone was deepening and stretching further along the tower. A few called out to their missing squad leader, but a new burst of chakara blew them all to the ground.

There was a call for retreat to relative safety in the forest. The shinobi scrambled up and hastily made their escape while it was possible.

The tower seemed to start sinking into the ground. An icy wind was swirling around the tower that began to build frost all across it, and two distinctly dark chakara's were clashing against one another in a struggle to dominate the other.

The battle reached an explosive peak blasting apart the tower and the shockwave blew frozen slabs of stone and earth into the forest, breaking apart trees like matchsticks. The clouds cracked with lightning and boomed with thunder and suddenly seemed to be disappearing as quickly as they'd appeared. A light dusting of snow was falling from the already nearly faded clouds.

Once the trees had stopped creaking from being broken and the dust was settling in silence had settled in once again.

In the center of a crater peppered with chunks of the tower and surrounding earth only 7 walls remained. Four for a large room with two on the inside remained. Most of the room had caved in, and hunks of stone littered the tower ruins. The walls seemed to have blackened scorch marks as well as long jagged cracks and wet, dark stains splashed on them. It was icy cold in the area still. The surrounding trees that managed to escape being up rooted or snapped like twigs were left tilting at an angle away from the wreckage.

**

* * *

**

'The clouds were moving oddly today. A sign of weather change, probably' thought the lazy Chuunin, 'though I've never seen this sort of pattern before'.

He was lying back with his hands behind his head cushioning his head against the wood in his favorite spot simply cloud watching.

Just then he sensed a flare of troublesome chakara, a kind he'd never felt before. It had actually made him sit bolt up right and look in the direction he believed it came from. Before he could recover from shock he could feel the building underneath him begin to shake. It wasn't violent, but almost enough to make him lose balance with it's suddenness. He also noticed a sudden mass of dark clouds begin to appear very quickly in the distant sky.

"Ah, mendoska…" was all he said before making his way off the building.

**Some Time Later**

Light was beginning to fade and the black haired Chuunin was told to go and help investigate into the earlier incident. A group had been sent before him, and Rokudaime didn't give him many details, but he'd looked distressed.

There had been a report open in front of him when Shikamaru had entered, but as soon as he came through the door the Hokage had shut the file and kept one hand over it. Almost seeming as if he didn't want Shikamaru to know what was in it. Not that he'd really want to know, that would be too troublesome. It wasn't like Naruto to act this way. "Man, mendoska." Frowning he was leaping from branch to branch to the location described to him. It was also in the direction that he'd noticed the strange clouds and where he thought the terrible chakara came from earlier that day… 'Today had been such a good day too."

**

* * *

**

"Naruto…" Sakura's voice was quiet and sad. She was standing next to the Hokage on his left watching him while he sad in his chair.

"Hokage-sama. I must agree. Do you think it was really such a good idea to send Shikamaru-san to the site? And to not tell him why?" It was one of Rokudaime's special jounin assistants.

Naruto was wearing the Hokage robes and hat while sitting behind his desk. He had his elbows placed on each side of a folder in font of him. It contained the reports from Kitura's squad on their latest mission. His hands were folded in front of his face as he slouched forward over the file. His face was troubled and his eyes seemed to be preparing for an onset of tears. But behind them was more than sorrow; it was also solid determination and confidence.

"He has a right to know," Naruto began.

"That may be true but-" his assistant was cut off as Naruto turned his head towards him and spoke with authority and clarity.

"And even if I had told him myself here, he would have no doubt gone on his own to…" Naruto let himself trail off. His head lowered and the top half of his face was shadowed, but you could see he bit the corner of his lip and his body tensed up.

Sakura stepped up to his side and put an arm around him, comforting him.

His assistant's expression was regretful, and he didn't say another word.

* * *

Picking his way carefully in the forest that already showed signs of destruction, Shikamaru took in as many details as he could and began to assess the situation in his head. Once he reached the clearing his eyes widened at seeing the large crater and chunks of stone and earth strewn everywhere. The blood smell here was also very strong.

All critically injured ninja were already taken back to the village, and any enemy-nin were also dealt with. He noticed it was Kitura's squad, most of it anyway, that remained with a few ANBU inspecting the area.

Why would Naruto send me here? It doesn't seem like I'm necessarily needed… but where is Kitura? She should be the one I need to see to see to get up to speed on the situation. Trying to stay alert and look for her at the same time Shikamaru ventured into the clearing.

"S-senpai…?" It was the newest edition to Kitura's squad…

His blond hair was dull and mussed, his forehead protector was smeared with blood and dirt, and his clothes were torn and dirty. He had a few bandages wrapped around him, and limped a little, but seemed otherwise fine. Initially as he limped towards Shikamaru his green eyes seemed to have a spark in them for a moment, his face was lit up… but as the moment passed his expression attempted to shift to an emotionless mask and his eyes seemed to lose any light at all. His sadness was still clear to any looking at him.

'What the hell…?' Shikamaru asked himself, frowning.

"Where is your squad leader?" he asked the shinobi.

He turned his head aside and seemed to shudder "You probably need to see this..." the shinobi started his head was downcast as he pointed in the direction of the ruins.

Quieting the questions still coming to mind he followed the shinobi. 'This was one fierce battle. And to be able to feel the chakara all the way from the village… no wonder those vibrations went so far. The destruction is immense. How did these ninja survive?'

The Undertaker squad seemed to have already cleared away bodies… and what was left of them, around the ruins. But the ruins showed little sign of having been entered. 'That's quite unusual.' His analysis of the area concluded an explosion seemed reasonable. It may have been too dangerous to enter… but then why was he being led right to it?

The ninja stood about a meter from the entrance to the ruins when he stopped. He was facing Shikamaru, but had averted his eyes.

When he entered he saw Hinata was already inside. She turned to him and he saw she was using her Byakugan.

"Shikamaru-kun," her voice was the usual, soft. But it also seemed to have a masking tone of professionalism to it.

"Hyuuga Hinata" he nodded to her.

She indicated he follow her. The ruins were mostly dark, the waning rays of light filtered through the rubble, and they stank of blood.

Hinata spoke, "It won't be safe to be in here long."

Shikamaru made no reply, something about this place had a bit of a familiar feel to it, but that should be impossible.

Hinata stopped in front of a cracked half-fallen wall, a few chunks of wall had fallen inside as well as some of the ceiling.

"Gomen ne… Shikamaru-kun…" was all Hinata said to him.

He looked down to see an arm sticking out of the rubble… it… it couldn't be!

Quickly kneeling down next to it he rushed to touch it, but stopped just before he could.

Hinata's face was sad and she attempted to console Shikamaru by putting a hand gently on his back and speaking softly to him.

The slender fingers had a now tattered string attached to the ring finger. Once the string had been red. The memory of her bumping into him and getting the red thread all tangled around them. She was trying to learn a few things from Sakura and had to pick up red string, but she wasn't watching where she was going and crashed into him on her way around the corner. Things had been so bad they had to cut one another out of the mess with their kunai.

A while after that, when they had gotten to know each other a lot better, she intentionally twirled a red string around his forearm, hand, and tied one end to his pinky. And then did the same to herself with the other end.

He looked down at his left hand. A tiny gold band was on his left ring finger.

* * *

_"Mendoska…" Shikamaru had his eyes closed and rubbed the back of his head with one hand, the other in his pocket._

"_Shika-kun, You were the one who gave it to me first!" she pointed to the gold band on her left ring finger, " So you shouldn't complain." Kitura pretended to pout._

"_Hai, hai," he replied, opening one eye. He still had one hand behind his head._

"_So you understand that WE have to do a little more planning?" she asked._

"_Troublesome woman. Men don't do things like that." He replied_

_She feigned astonishment, "Is that so? I guess I had never gotten the memo."_

_Wearing a bored look he sighted, slouched, and closed his eyes._

_In return she rolled her eyes, threw her hands in the air, and sighed._

_Opening one eye he looked at her, his hands in his pockets._

_She looked frustrated, but didn't seem to bother think it worth the effort to continue the argument._

"_Mendoska…" he sighed and stepped in front of her._

_She looked up at him with an almost angry disappointed look and her arms folded in front of her._

_He placed his index finger under her chin and his thumb below her lower lip._

_Kitura's eyes hardened, but he'd already closed his eyes and was tilting his head to the side and leaning his head towards hers._

_The moment their lips softly touched Kitura's eyes softened and she looked at him through half-lidded eyes. Her arms unfolded and gently fell to her sides. Shikamaru wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her body against his, receiving a contented sigh from her. Her eyes slipped close, he pulled his mouth away from hers and wrapped his other arm around her waist._

_He whispered to her, "You are a troublesome woman, but some things are worth the trouble…"_

_She smiled at him with teary eyes, her hands resting on his shoulders, "For a genius you sure can be stupid sometimes."_

_This time she closed her eyes, and pushed herself up a little on the balls of her feet to reach him better. Her warm breath brushed his mouth before she pressed her lips onto his. His arms tightened around her waist and he parted his lips and pressed his mouth more firmly against hers. Her fingers gripped onto his flak jacket as she began tasting his mouth. Hungrily he began to run his tongue along hers and tasted her lips. His hands shifted from her waist to her cheeks and jaw. He pulled her mouth to his and leaned his head heavily into her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her body firmly against him. The pink of tongue occasionally flicked out from their lip locked mouths._

_Breaking apart they panted for air, Shikamaru's hands remained on Kitura's cheeks and her arms around his shoulders. She was looking down and his gaze was focused on her hair._

_He wrapped his arms around her, one hand stroking her hair. She had her arms tucked between them with her hands resting against his chest and her head against him._

"_Ashiteru, Shika-kun" she spoke quietly._

"_Ashiteru, Kitu-chan" he whispered in reply.  
_

* * *

Stadium style seating was arranged outside in an open area of Konoha. The lives of splendid shinobi who had sacrificed themselves in the recent mission against the sound ninja were being honored. 

Thankfully Kitura had made it possible to get many of the Konoha shinobi out of the tower before it was blasted apart from the inside. Everyone had been injured, but a number only had relatively minor injuries.

Rokudaime was sitting behind a long desk table with his advisors and assistants. He had his fingers laced together and elbows propping his hands in front of his face. His speech had just come to an end and they were having a few moments silence. Scanning the crowd of sullen faces he saw Shikamaru with his head between his hands and his body slouched forward, he seemed to be trembling, and holding back his sobbing.

His chakara was unstable. Naruto was worried. Two people sitting behind Shikamaru looked at each other. They exchanged words shortly before one of them reached over and hit a certain spot on Shikamaru's shoulder. They were using some sort of Genjutsu on him. He stopped trembling, his arms fell to his sides and his body limply kept slouching forward.

Feeling successful the two ninja grinned at each other. Naruto sighed in relief. It's not something he'd wanted done, but if it was able to help Shikamaru even a little bit after loosing his fiancé then he would have to allow it.

The moments silence was almost at its end when suddenly Shikamaru sat up and whipped around to grab the guys by their collars. Needless to say they were stunned.

Loudly Shikamaru spoke to them, "It's a Genjutsu you used, of course I'd counter it! What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

A few people turned to look at Shikamaru, others seemed to ignore his actions altogether. Naruto on the other hand, his eyes widened and he looked ready to leap up, but he stopped himself. This was Shikamaru after all. I guess he couldn't have expected a genjutsu to get the best of him so easily. Naruto's eyes were filled with compassion for Shikamaru, and also with sadness at the loss to the village with the shinobi's departure from this life.

Before Shikamaru could do anymore, everyone started getting up, "where are you all going so suddenly?!" his grip on the two shinobi's collars tightened.

'Oh no, this is not good. He's getting hysterical.' Naruto looked down at the table and sighed. His two assistants disappeared from his side with a swirl of wind and appeared next to Shikamaru.

Letting go of the collars Shikamaru stood up, "What is it now?" he demanded.

The special jounin stood ready on each side of Shikamaru, "We ask that you remain composed, Shikamaru-san. Or we will be forced to restrain you."

Just as Shikamaru was getting into a battle ready position the special jounin grabbed each side of him and put his arms behind his back and held him still as best they could. Shikamaru struggled against them and yelled incomprehensible up at the sky, tears had leaked out of his eyes.

Naruto was trembling. He never left his seat, and his face remained down turned to the desktop in front of him. His hands were clenched together and drops of moisture fell from his face onto the desk. He couldn't bear to see his friend feeling this way or behaving as he was. Hinata was standing behind him with a hand patting his shoulder, she felt bad for them both but didn't know what she could do.


End file.
